Fed: Govt planned ad spend on families, says Labor

AAP General News (Australia)
04-04-2004
Fed: Govt planned ad spend on families, says Labor

CANBERRA, April 4 AAP - The government had planned to spend $26 million on an advertising
campaign to explain its family payment system, Labor said today.

Opposition treasury spokesman Simon Crean said leaked cabinet documents showed the
government last year planned a major ad campaign, second only in size to the GST promotion.

"They knew they were in trouble in terms of the family payments," Mr Crean told the
Nine Network today.

"They knew that there was a confusing message and the government wasn't getting what
it considered to be the benefits of its policy through and it hinted that this money would
also go to explaining a new payment to replace what they had."

It was not known whether the government still planned to go ahead with the campaign.

Mr Crean also said Labor's $2.2 billion baby care program had been properly costed,
despite the government's claim it had a $350 million black hole.

"This was an own goal by (Treasurer) Peter Costello," Mr Crean said.

"The figures that we used were in the forward estimates of his budget."

Mr Crean said more money would be available for Labor's proposal if the government's
new figures produced by Mr Costello last week were accurate.

AAP pjo/cdh/bwl

KEYWORD: FAMILY CREAN

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